Federal Government Invites All Canadians to Have Their Say on Copyright Reform

As we reported last week, the Canadian government has begun roundtable talks in key Canadian cities to begin gathering public opinion on copyright laws. Now, the government has taken the nationwide consultation process even further by launching an e-consulation page, which allows all Canadians to voice their opinions online in a number of different ways.

The online public consultation on copyright policy is the first of its kind, and the first chance for the public to voice its concerns on the topic of copyright since 2001, when telephone surveying and door-to-door polling were all the rage.

Canadians can participate in the e-consultation until September 13 with four different types of input available: an online submissions centre, a discussions forum, a multimedia centre and streaming town hall meetings featuring the flamboyant rock star duo of Minister of Industry Tony Clement and Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages James Moore.

Stuffy politician jokes aside, the website will also include resources about copyright and record the progress of the public consultations. There's also an RSS feed available. After the public consultation closes in September, it's hoped the government will propose a new bill, similar to a previous un-passed bill introduced in June of 2008, which would have allowed Canadians to copy legal downloads to their iPods and computers without repercussions.

Meanwhile, Speak Out On Copyright, headed by University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist, is following the happenings from its pro-copyright law reform stance, providing news and reports on the consultation process as it happens.

To make your voice heard, click here to head to the Canadian government's e-consulation page.